To start with, I really didn't "get" the ending. I'm not sure what we were supposed conclude about Ellen, April and her maid; nor did the automatic writing scene, Pam's fate, or the time-line involving the hapless reporter make much sense. Yet, I don't dislike the movie despite its glaring short-comings. I suppose the movies you think about long afterwards are worth seeing even if you don't formulate a solid opinion of it one way or the other.
I was surprised that one of the other comments suggested that the character of Annie would be more realistic had she taken her ideas from Rain Man; Annie isn't an idiot savant. Personally, I found her take to be fairly realistic, at least comparing the character to the autistic children I work with. The scene in which she was requested to say "good morning" could have been lifted from any number of morning circles at school. Admittedly the children I work with are younger(3-6), I didn't think the character was much different from them- though she didn't echo back what people said at all, which I thought was a little odd. I don't think that her take could have been expected to be any more "authentic" in this type of movie, which doesn't give one hours for character development.
I was surprised that one of the other comments suggested that the character of Annie would be more realistic had she taken her ideas from Rain Man; Annie isn't an idiot savant. Personally, I found her take to be fairly realistic, at least comparing the character to the autistic children I work with. The scene in which she was requested to say "good morning" could have been lifted from any number of morning circles at school. Admittedly the children I work with are younger(3-6), I didn't think the character was much different from them- though she didn't echo back what people said at all, which I thought was a little odd. I don't think that her take could have been expected to be any more "authentic" in this type of movie, which doesn't give one hours for character development.